Grand County, Colorado

On this Rocky Mountain hike you’ll explore 4 picturesque mountain lakes and a 60 foot waterfall. Completing this hike requires familiarizing yourself with Rocky Mountain National Park’s free shuttle system. Hikes along Bear Lake Road are some of the busiest in the park. Trailhead parking lots fi...

Bear Lake is a popular tourist destination in Rocky Mountain NP, but when the sun is low in the sky or the stars are out you'll find the big crowd are gone. The lake is beautiful at sunrise and sunset but especially photogenic in the fall or at winter's end. While it doesn't have the darkest nig...

Begin at the Bear Lake Trailhead, located at the end of Bear Lake Road, 9 miles from the entrance on Highway 36. Follow the signs to Dream Lake, passing Nymph Lake about halfway through. At 1.1 miles you will reach Dream Lake. The views of 12,713-foot Hallett Peak and 12,324-foot Flattop Mountain...

To catch the sunrise, begin at the Bear Lake trailhead in Rocky Mountain National Park. From the trailhead, veer right around bear lake and continue along the Odessa Lake/Flattop Mountain trail. This will begin to ascend on your right.After approximately 1 mile, the Flattop Mountain Trail will sp...

While not as popular as Dream Lake, Nymph Lake is just as beautiful. The hike to Nymph Lake is an easy hike just over 1 mile. You start from the Bear Lake Trail head and can go further on to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake if you want to. Both Dream and Emerald Lakes are also stunning and very photog...

The hike to Ptarmigan Lake has plenty of elevation gain for mountain lovers and views for miles from the Continental Divide. If you want to reach this spot for sunrise you'll need a very early start in the morning, but that also means you won't have to use the shuttle system to Bear Lake. The las...

Arrive at the Bear Lake Trailhead. Follow abundant signage toward Flattop Peak. Once you arrive at the summit of Flattop identify the unnamed unmaintained trail leading south toward Hallett Peak. Round the head of Tyndall Gorge and ascend the rocky slopes toward the summit by connecting short use...

Snowshoeing to Emerald Lake was completely different from hiking the trail during summer. Instead of hiking around Nymph Lake, Dream Lake, and Emerald Lake, I was able to go straight across them (check the ice to make sure it's thick enough to support your weight). Rocky Mountain National Park's...

Park at Bear Lake, and follow the signs north of the lake to Odessa Lake. However, do NOT go all the way to Odessa Lake; after about 3 miles, when Notchtop is in full view, the trail begins to descend to Odessa Lake. Find an unmarked spur trail to the left which leads to shallow Lake Helene, then...

Bear Lake to Flattop Mountain The trail starts at Bear Lake, where you get a view of Hallett Peak (12,713 ft) which will be the highpoint of your hike. After a short walk on the Bear Lake Trail, take the path to the right. After 1/2 a mile, take a trail left to the north. 1/2 a mile later, stay...

Start your day at the Bear Lake parking lot, and head out on the short 2-mile approach that winds uphill past Nymph and Dream Lake. After arriving at Emerald Lake, skirt around the shore on the left side to reach the bottom of the couloir, clearly visibile on the far side of the lake.The 1500 ft ...

Begin the hike by following the Bear Lake trail and after ~.45 miles take the trail to the right towards Odessa Lake and Flattop Mountain. Continue along the trail as it climbs above Bear Lake to the split with the Flattop Mountain trail at approximately 1 mile. The trail continues toward Odessa ...

Eldorado Canyon Trail makes for a great day hike, with great views and a steady, challenging uphill – bring lots of water!For something shorter, try Streamside Trail (1 mile roundtrip), Fowler Trail (1.4 miles), or Rattlesnake Gulch (2.8 miles). Streamside, appropriately, leads you alongside a cr...

Royal Arch Trail climbs up Boulder's famous Chautauqua Park to an archway formed by sandstone rocks that tower over thirty feet high. Start at the Chautauqua Trail Station by the Ranger Station, and continue up Bluebell Road for 0.7 miles. You will then arrive at a more forested area, where you ...

Starting at the ever-popular and ever-populated Chautauqua Trailhead, take the main trail (a highway version of a dirt trail) straight towards the Flatirons. Continue going straight passed the Ski Jump trail to your right (0.2 mi.), then at a crossroads with the Bluebell-Baird trail (0.3 mi.) tur...

Starting from the popular Chautauqua Park trailhead, head west on the main trail to the first branch off onto a smaller trail that will take you toward Baseline Road. Follow this trail until it eventually connects with Gregory Canyon Trailhead—you can park at this trailhead if you wish, but miss ...